Braxton Miller crashed headfirst into an equipment case at Michigan State. He crumpled to the ground in agony after one of his legs locked on him in the same game.

On Saturday against Purdue, Miller was decleated by 315-pound defensive tackle Kawann Short. After all three wince-inducing plays, Miller somehow managed to return to the game.

Then came the apparent coup de grace when he was slammed to the turf by Boilermakers cornerback Josh Johnson after a long run.

Transported by ambulance to OSU’s Wexner Medical Center, Miller’s status for the rest of the season looked to be in jeopardy. But he was released from the hospital a few hours later and pronounced symptom-free.

Symptom-free is a relative term. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said yesterday that Miller remained “very sore,” with his neck the biggest issue.

But Meyer said that Miller is expected to practice today and all signs point to him starting at resurgent Penn State on Saturday.

“He’s got like a whiplash,” Meyer said. “I had a long talk with him about it. He was just rattled. Once he settled down, he seemed to be fine.”

Meyer said Miller told him he had never been hurt like that.

“It kind of rattled him, like it would most athletes,” Meyer said.

Miller isn’t scheduled to meet with the media until Wednesday, but safety Christian Bryant said that Miller seemed to be much improved.

“Braxton is doing way better than he was on Saturday,” Bryant said. “(He’s) moving around, talking to guys, laughing. He’s doing pretty good right now. He said he’s good (to play), so I believe him.”

Meyer acknowledged that when Miller went down, the Buckeyes’ season flashed before his eyes. This season always has been a precarious dance, knowing that Ohio State’s success depended on Miller’s wondrous running ability while understanding that such reliance comes with substantial injury risk.

Asked whether he’s amazed that Miller has seemingly dodged serious injury yet again, Meyer said, “I don’t know that I use the word amazed very often, but he’s a tough guy. He’s very strong. He takes care of himself.”

But Meyer acknowledged that he is “very concerned” about Miller’s ability to make it through the season considering the shots he has taken.

“We don’t go crazy with him as far as running the ball,” Meyer said. “But at some point, you’ve got to try to move the ball a little bit, too. There’s some limitations (with our offense), so we’re very cognizant of that.”

When offensive coordinator Tom Herman took to the podium later, he was asked how much he would alter his play-calling in light of concern for Miller’s health.

“None,” he replied. “We’ve got to win the game. I don’t know what it’s going to take Saturday at 5:30 to win the game. We’re trying to figure it out now. If we’ve got to win the game, we’ve got to win the game. If he’s the best option to do that, that certainly will factor into any of our decisions.”

Backup Kenny Guiton proved against Purdue that he’s capable of leading the Buckeyes to victory, but there’s no question they prefer Miller against a Penn State team that has won five straight after an 0-2 start.

Meyer talked earlier this year of possibly having Miller and Guiton on the field at the same time. That plan seems kaput for now.

“If we did, Braxton would be the runner, and I’m not sure it’s the right time to do that,” Meyer said.

Figuring out the right time to let Miller run is one of the pressing questions for the coaching staff, now more than ever.